SEC Chair Paul S. Atkins Maps Out Blockchain-Driven Overhaul of U.S. Capital Markets

Odaily Planet Daily reports that U.S. SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins said at the 2026 Reagan National Economic Forum that the agency is pursuing a "New Era of the SEC" agenda, centered on updating digital-asset oversight, fostering onchain capital markets, and positioning the United States as the "global crypto hub." Atkins faulted the SEC's prior "regulatory hostility" toward the digital-asset sector, arguing it pushed a significant share of crypto innovation offshore. He said the SEC, backed by the Trump administration, has launched "Project Crypto" with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission to develop onchain market infrastructure and align crypto regulation. He added that the SEC has recently clarified which digital assets are securities and which are not. The agency is also working on new exemptions aimed at tokenized listed securities, while assessing how onchain trading systems can be accommodated within existing regulatory frameworks. Atkins also said the SEC plans to curb "overdisclosure" and reduce regulatory burdens. He outlined reforms to "Make IPOs Great Again," including lowering compliance costs for public companies and expanding flexibility for IPOs, and noted the SEC has formally proposed rescinding climate disclosure rules adopted under the previous administration. Atkins said the next phase of U.S. capital markets should rest on free markets and innovation-led growth, with regulators providing clear rules and legal certainty rather than constraining technological progress.